Around The Primary

Dear Families

This week is National Reconciliation Week, a time for all of us to explore how we can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. 

The theme for this week is ‘Now More Than Ever’ and the students have participated in various classroom activities to help them learn about building relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' histories and cultures.

Here are some examples of ways we have embraced the theme with the students to help them to reflect, learn, and grow together.

• In Kindy the students have explored Indigenous symbols and drawn pictures in the sand to tell a story.
• The Year 3 students have listened to dreamtime stories and used their note taking skills to do guided research on Indigenous culture.
• During Liturgical Singing, the students have learnt about and enjoyed singing the Wanjoo (Welcome) and the Sorry Song.
• The Year 6 students have reflecting on the significance of the 1967 referendum, discussed National Sorry Day and the Stolen Generation, read about the work of Eddie Mabo and the negotiations of Native Title, and discussed information about the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra.

Across the Primary, we are using the 'URStrong Friendology' program and at today’s Assembly the Year 1 students shared their knowledge about friendship facts, for example, trust and respect are important qualities of a friendship.  Through role play and songs they reminded everyone how to be a good friend; skills to use to make friends; recognise that each friendship is unique and that we can celebrate diversity. 

On Monday morning, Ms O’Connor, Miss Driscoll, Ms Hooper, Mrs King, Mrs Burke, Mrs Taylor, Ms Kidd, Mr Edwards, and I are heading off with 64 Year 6 students to Canberra. There has been a lot of organisation behind the scenes to make this an enjoyable and educational experience for our young travellers. We are very grateful for the willingness and enthusiasm of staff to support this journey to our National Capital. 

We also greatly appreciate the trust that families place in our hands when they allow their children to accompany us on this Canberra Camp. Rest assured we will take excellent care of them and know they will return all the better for the experience! 

I hope families do have the opportunity to relax over the long weekend. I will be packing my suitcase full of warm clothes in preparation for the Canberra camp! Ms Allen (Assistant Principal) will be available to assist with any queries or concerns next week.

Kind regards

Antoinette De Pinto

Head of Primary 

Retirement

After 26 years of service, Christine Scott (Mary Ward Education Assistant) has made the decision to retire. We wish Christine all the best in her retirement, she will be dearly missed.   

Dates to Remember

Please check the College Website to note all the important Primary school events for your family calendar. http://www.johnxxiii.edu.au/view/for-parents/calendars 

By subscribing to the College calendar, you are automatically alerted when details of an existing event are changed.  

Super Stars

Well done to all the students who received a certificate at today’s Assembly:

Reflection Day

Last Friday, the Year 4 classes participated in a Reflection Day with 24:7 Ministry, and we learnt about the first three sacraments of Baptism, Penance and Holy Communion. We were taught about the importance of the bread and the wine, and how we can be closer to God and to Jesus by receiving the Sacraments. In the final activity, we went outside and did a play about ‘The Last Supper’. Niko Cha (4G)

 

There were lots of fun activities in the Eucharist Reflection Day.  We used a picture of a bunch of grapes and wrote words on one of them and a prayer on one of them. We then connected them to wire and onto a clothes hanger. The instructors from 24/7 Ministry explained that the vine represents Jesus, and the grapes represent us.   We finished off watching a play about the Last Supper performed by the instructors. We ate some bread and some juice which represented the body and blood of Christ. We then participated in a Liturgy of the Eucharist, received our certificate, and then wrote a prayer to God. I really enjoyed the experience. Madeleine Cloghan (4B)

Notification of Absences

We are pleased to introduce a new feature that allows you to notify the school of your child's absence directly through the SEQTA Engage App or SEQTA Engage Portal. This feature provides an additional, convenient method for submitting absence notifications.

Please refer to the attached PDF for further instructions.  This information can also be found on SEQTA Engage under the Primary General tab. 

Sports News

The IPSHA Cross Country was an exceptional day for the College last Friday. I was reflecting on the results of the races and was completely blown away.  With approximately 80 runners in each race and 11 other schools competing, John XXIII College had at least one top four finish in every race and in three races we won multiple ribbons!

With three first place ribbons, four second place ribbons, one third place and two fourth place ribbons, our team of 64 runners had 26 top 10 finishes and an incredible 48 top 25 finishes.  A full list of the results can be found at IPSHA WA - Results Hub  www.resultshq.com.au 

All of our runners should be incredibly proud of the way they ran their race and the way they represented the College. 

The top 4 runners from each race will compete in the SSWA Cross Country Carnival in Term 3 on Thursday 1 August. 

We will have a break from training for the remainder of the Term and recommence in Term 3 on Thursday 18 July (7:30am outside the St Louis Sports Centre). Everyone is welcome to the training sessions; it is a great way to start the day and to help support our Cross Country team. 

If you have any queries about anything sport related, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email: steve.williams@johnxxiii.edu.au   

Steve Williams

Primary Sport Coordinator

Music News

Rehearsals

Choir and instrumental ensemble rehearsals for next week are as follows:

Wanjoo (Gina Williams)

In Music this week, students have been singing ‘Wanjoo’ which is a song in the Noongar language. 

Translated into English, the lyrics are “Welcome, welcome beautiful friends, welcome, welcome strong friends. We are happy to see you, we sing welcome. From the north, from the south, from the east, from the west. We are happy to see you, we sing welcome.” 

The music and lyrics can be accessed at the following link: Wanjoo (Gina Williams).

Australian Guild of Music and Speech (AGMS) Virtual Festival

Students who undertake instrumental lessons are invited to enter the AGMS Virtual Festival. 

To participate, students are required to upload a video of their performance to the appropriate category. All participants receive feedback on their entry and awarded bronze, silver, gold, or platinum level for their performance. Entries close on 25 June. 

Please use the link below for more information or to place an entry. 

Enter the 2024 Virtual Festival | AGMS

If you have any queries regarding Primary Music, please contact me via email: catherine.haydon@johnxxiii.edu.au

Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

Containers for Change 

Thank you to all the families that have been donating their recyclable containers to the College fund. The member ID number has changed recently for the College to C11452850.

If you are donating your 10c Containers under the College account, you will have to start using this number. 

All of the money raised from your donations goes to Caritas or Lifelink.

Parking Update

As part of our continuous efforts to prioritise the safety and convenience of everyone within our community, please find below some important updates regarding car parking rules on campus and changes to the Heritage Lane parking. 

Heritage Lane Parking

Moving forward, the Heritage Lane car park will be exclusively reserved for staff parking. This adjustment aims to enhance safety measures throughout our College. Below is an outline of parking and pick-up options for families based on the year level of children. Your cooperation in adhering to these guidelines is greatly appreciated: 

Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Pre-Primary Parent Parking Options

Families with children in Pre-Kindy, Kindergarten, and Pre-Primary can utilise the Early Years Carpark off John XXIII Avenue for drop-off and collection. Overflow parking is available in the main car park off John XXIII Avenue and the Loop car park off Mooro Drive. 

Years 1 to 6 

For students in Years 1 to 6, pick-up arrangements can be made at The Loop off Mooro Drive which is staffed to help for an effective flow of traffic. Please follow these instructions: 

• Have your surname sign displayed on your dashboard.
• Drive all the way to the bottom of the loop.
• Have your child exit from the passenger (left) side of the vehicle. At pick-up, please stay in your vehicle and staff will guide your child to get into your car safely from the passenger side.

Alternatively, students from Years 1 to 6 may also be collected from the Kiss ‘n’ Drive Loop off John XXIII Avenue if accompanied by a sibling in the Secondary School.

Families who prefer to park and drop-off or pick-up their children can utilise the main car park off John XXIII Avenue or the Loop car park off Mooro Drive. 

To ensure the safety of students and pedestrians, we kindly request all families to observe the following guidelines: 

• Utilise designated College car parks.
• Drop off and pick up your child only in designated areas.
• Adhere to the 40km/h speed limit in school zones.
• Follow all traffic and parking signs.
• Refrain from double parking and illegal parking.
• Yield to pedestrians, especially near driveways.
• Park only in marked bays on the College campus.

By working together, we can uphold the safety and wellbeing of our entire community.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sacramental Certificates

Parents are requested to email a copy of their child’s Sacramental Certificate (Reconciliation, Eucharist or Confirmation) to Mrs Petsos in Primary Reception nancy.petsos@johnxxiii.edu.au for our College records.

College Staff Email Change

A reminder that the @cewa email domain is no longer active. 

All staff have designated email addresses with the email addresses generally following a pattern – the first name followed by the surname and then @johnxxiii.edu.au eg: firstname.surname@johnxxiii.edu.au  

Calling All Artists! 

Students of John XXIII College are invited to create an original artwork on the theme of ‘Christmas’. 

The winning entry will appear on the Principal’s 2024 Christmas card. 

For information on how to enter, terms and conditions, please refer to the attached flyer.

Upcoming Inspire Events

Creating a healthy relationship with food for the family 

Food and mealtimes can be tough. From starting solids to fussy eating, it’s a lot to handle. Dr Kyla Smith, a Perth-based paediatric dietitian with 18 years of experience, will share evidence-based tips to help your children love their food and feel good about eating. 

Tuesday, 11 June 2024

7:30am - 9:00am

Gonzaga Barry Lecture Theatre

Light breakfast provided

RSVP by Friday, 7 June: https://www.trybooking.com/1225400

Hosted by INSPIRE Parent Association.

Building Courage and Resilience in Children and Adolescents

Join Karen Young, founder of 'Hey Sigmund' and author of best-selling books, for an informative session on helping children build courage and resilience. Learn practical tools and strategies to support your children in overcoming adversity and fostering a brave mindset.

Monday, 22 July 2024

6:00pm - 7:30pm

Gonzaga Barry Lecture Theatre

RSVP and details: https://www.trybooking.com/1225467

Hosted by INSPIRE Parent Association.